The real aloe (bot. Aloe vera) is a popular medicinal plant from the Arab world, which is used in folk medicine and cosmetics due to its ingredients. If you have your own specimen of the aspodilla but want to propagate it, there are several methods you can use. Aloes are fairly easy to propagate as they provide plenty of plant material that can be used for just that purpose.
substrate
Before you can multiply the aloe vera, you should mix the substrate together. Aloes can only thrive in the right substrate and it doesn't matter whether you propagate by cuttings or children, the substrate in the pot must meet certain requirements. In conventional garden soil, the children and leaf cuttings would only die or rot immediately, which of course you want to avoid. The following substrate mixtures are very suitable for aloes:
- 3 parts soil for cacti, 1 part perlite, 1 part lava granulate
- 2.5 parts soil for succulents, 1 part lava granules, 1 part vermiculite,
- 2.5 parts soil for transplanting, 1 part lava granules, 1 part pumice, half a part quartz sand
These mixtures provide the young aloe plants with the necessary conditions to be able to grow effectively. Not only can the roots find immediate support, the aloes can enjoy a rich supply of nutrients and fresh air while not being exposed to waterlogging. Mix the ingredients together and check the density of the substrate by squeezing it once. As long as the mixture does not immediately collapse again, the mixture is correct. Finally, check the pH. This should be between 6.0 and 8.0. Add some garden lime if the value is not high enough.
Propagation by cuttings: instructions
When propagating cuttings, you also rely on plant material that forms the mother plant. In contrast to the method with offshoots, older plants in particular are rejuvenated with this method. However, you must note that this type of propagation does not work quite as effectively and even often goes wrong, since the separated leaf cuttings have a lot of moisture, which leads to the cut leaves rotting in the ground. Only a few leaf cuttings will root, but the method can work, resulting in a sizeable aloe in the end as the leaves themselves are larger than cuttings. For this you need:
- Secateurs, alternatively large scissors or a sharp knife
- Pot with drainage hole in the bottom
- Drainage material: potsherds or gravel
- one of the above substrate mixtures
- Root hormone, alternatively cinnamon, willow water or honey
If you are propagating from cuttings, the choice is yours real earth more importantly, as it will help you prevent leaf rot. The variant with cactus soil in particular is very well suited for leaf cuttings and should therefore be used for this variant. They store a lot of moisture and release it to the plant in small amounts, which is particularly important for succulents such as aloes. Proceed as follows when propagating:
1. Cut & dry leaves
First, cut a leaf at least 8 cm long from the adult aloe. The larger the plant, the more leaves you can cut off, but you should never cut off too many at once. The scissors or knife should be clean to avoid infecting the plant with pathogens.
After cutting off the leaves, you need to store them in a warm, dry place for a period of up to two weeks. Here the leaves have to dry in the air so that they don't end up rotting in the substrate. They are dried until a white film forms over them, which prevents mold growth. Once you see this movie you can start growing.
2. Fill the pot with substrate
Thinly cover the bottom of the pot with the drainage material. You don't need much, only the water drainage has to work.
Then fill the entire pot with soil up to about three centimeters below the rim. Be careful not to fill all the way to the brim or you may lose substrate.
3. Plant cuttings
Now dip the leaf in a glass with root hormone to promote the rather sluggish root formation of the aloe. Alternatively, dip them in honey or ground cinnamon, willow water is also an option. Be careful not to get the leaf cutting too wet before sticking it in the ground.
The cuttings are now stuck lengthwise into the ground, covered with a very thin layer of substrate. A part should still look out of the ground so that light can reach it. Finally, the pot is placed in a sunny and warm place and carefully watered. Wait for the soil to dry completely before watering again.
4. Care
You can tell if the cuttings are rooting for propagation when they dry out severely or begin to shrink. With time and proper care, new plants will develop from the leaf. Keep their size and soften, rot them. No new plants can develop from these leaf cuttings.
Aloe vera cuttings
tip: it is also possible to rear aloe vera from seeds, but it can only take a very long time and is quite laborious. In addition, if the light conditions are not right during germination, the young plant can die quickly, which makes propagation via cuttings or offshoots more effective and safer.
Propagation by Kindel: Instructions
Kindel and cuttings are the same in aloe vera and describe the "offspring" of the mother plant. These grow next to the mother plant, i.e. the largest specimen, together in the pot, develop roots and look confusingly similar, only they are smaller and lighter. If you want to propagate aloes from offshoots, you have the best chance of success, since they already have roots and theoretically only need to be repotted to continue growing. For this you need:
- sharp knife
- Pot with drainage hole in the bottom
- Drainage material: potsherds or gravel
- one of the above substrate mixtures
- Root hormone, alternatively cinnamon, willow water or honey
Then proceed as follows:
1. Find & detach kindel
In order to separate the offshoots, you should first disinfect the knife so that the offshoots do not become inflamed. Then take all of the aloe vera, including the soil, out of the pot and look for the children. These are attached to the mother plant but have roots of their own that should be easy to spot once freed from the soil.
You can easily separate the offshoots from the mother plant with your fingers. If that doesn't work, grab the knife. Then let the Kindel dry like the cuttings for a few days so that the cut surface can recover. During this time, repot the mother plant.
3. Plant children
Now prepare the substrate as described above for the cuttings. Then only dip the roots of the aloe cuttings into the root hormone or the listed alternatives. Then you can put the specimens in the pots to propagate.
4. Care
Moisten the substrate a little, place it in a warm and sunny place and water again a week later.
tip: If the previous pot of the aloe is large enough, you can plant the children directly in the pot again after separating them. To do this, just dig a small hole in the substrate and place the offshoots directly on the mother plant, because they can no longer grow together after separation.